Mashed Love
by Hunky D0ry
Summary: Lee dreams of mashed potatoes.


The hunger was an incessant, gnawing pain that ate away at Lee Everett with every step he took. As he walked through the dirty, ruined aisles of the abandoned supermarket, his mind drifted to thoughts of a banquet filled with many foods. He hadn't had a proper meal in a long time, and it had finally begun to take a toll on him. The other grocery stores and convenience stores had mostly been picked clean at this point, and Lee had been chosen to travel to the market on the other side of town for any food that might remain. Autumn was rapidly approaching, and Lee wondered what the group would do in the long run. He couldn't let Clementine starve. There had to be food somewhere, but all the shelves he found so far were completely devoid of nonperishables. His stomach rumbled in protest, his eyes were half-lidded thanks to a poor night's sleep, and his steps were slow and cautious, but he kept on going anyway.

Only a few more aisles remained unchecked, and all Lee managed to secure so far was a can of tomato soup and a box of crackers. It took a lot of willpower to resist the tempation of eating that, but he managed. Still, hope was running dry. Lee knew damn well that even if he did find enough food to feed his group for another week, they would still have to leave Macon soon. Between these failed scavenging runs and fruitless hunting sessions with Mark and Kenny, Lee had come to the conclusion that any dangers outside of town were small potatoes compared to a slow starvation.

Mmmm. Mashed potatoes. Oh God, how he wish he had a giant bowl of homemade mashed potatoes right now. Nothing in the entire world beat his mother's homemade mashed potatoes. They were soft, buttery, and oh so sweet! Even when he could eat, he was so tired of canned food, snack crackers, and the occasional fruit. He wanted something to remind him of home again, something-

"Hello, Lee. Why the long face?" Came a soft, gentle voice behind that jolted Lee out of his thoughts. Lee quickly turned around to face the source, only to discover a giant bowl of mashed potatoes sitting in the middle of an aisle. His mouth watered in excitement, even as his brain scrambled for a way to rationalize this.

"Goddamn, it's a giant bowl of mashed potatoes," Lee thought out loud, his voice a strange a strange concoction of disbelief and relief. The mashed potatoes were easily as tall as he was, and maybe even a bit taller. His stomach howled.

"How are you doing, Lee?" The mashed potatoes spoke again with a voice that can only be described as the sound a harp makes when played by the purest of angels. Forget rationalizing this, Lee had discovered heaven!

"Come closer, Lee," Beckoned the mashed potatoes. Even though it couldn't motion to Lee, he still felt its guidance as he approached the giant bowl. And what would you know? There was a box of plastic spoons in that same aisle. This was too good too good to be true! And yet it all felt so real! Lee was grinning like a kid who saw Santa Claus eating the cookies and milk he had laid out for him on Christmas Eve.

"Hello," Lee said awkwardly, struggling to articulate what he was actively thinking. But the bowl of mashed potatoes smiled in a way that said more than words ever could. So Lee grabbed a spoon and began to dig in. Oh, it was even better than mom's homemade mashed potatoes! These were the mashed potatoes of the gods, mashed to perfection with just the right amount of butter and salt! Words cannot do the taste justice; you would have to experience it for yourself to know the potatoey goodness that now touched Lee's tongue.

"That's it, my child," encouraged the bowl of mashed potatoes. "I know you are hungry and weary, but your struggles will soon be rewarded, I promise. How do I taste, Lee?"

Lee was too lost to even hear the mashed potatoes talking to him.

"Lee, how do I taste?"

Still no answer.

"Lee? Lee!? LEE!?"

* * *

"Lee, come on, man," Kenny repeated as he shook Lee's half-asleep form. "You gotta get up. Me, you, and Mark are going hunting."

Lee, now awake and aware of what just happened, sighed. "Damn, I knew it was a dream. I was eating a giant bowl of mashed potatoes and everything."

Kenny nodded in an understanding way. "I feel you. I had a dream the other morning that I was eating a giant Thanksgiving turkey with Larry's fat bald head on top. Now come on, Mark's waiting for us."

Lee nodded, stood up, and followed Kenny out of the motel room. "Let's hope we actually find something today."


End file.
